Crafting For Those Dedicated to Experimentation

pinterest

I know, I am currently at MS&WF but I’m posting this, What? Okay so I have written this post earlier and put it up while I’m away because, it is important information that I think people should know, and I am going to be a bit busy right when I get back so I am not sure when I’ll get a chance to express my excitement over MS&WF. This is, hopefully, the start of a mini-series every few weeks about different digital resources available to crafters that they might not be aware of, or might not have thought of that way.

There are amazing websites/resources out there that I really want to share with you and help you to understand how they fit in with your creative journey. When I think of methods of creative discovery, Pinterest is one of the first websites I think of. I will freely admit that I often do not use my resources to their fullest capabilities. Pinterest is one of those resources, but I really do love it for what I use it for. I know, that is one of the most confusing sentences ever. For me Pinterest is inspiration personified, the very essence of every cool picture on the internet in one accessible place, where I can choose what I really love and want to look into further (for free, and with the permission of the pinner.) I cannot claim it as my personal work, unless it is, but I can use the pictures to inspire my own creativity, instruct me on a technique or craft, or just cause me to pause and think further on something.

When you get started with Pinterest you need to sign up using an e-mail address. From there you begin by creating boards. I have boards ranging from Knitting, Sewing, Fiber Lust (all of the really pretty fibers I want or want to make), Cleaning, Cute stuff, Stuff I want in my House, etc. I have a ‘secret’ board of stocking stuffers, since I really love to buy little useful things that I can give to family and friends. You really could use this to inspire almost anything. I have recently created a Mood Board where I put my color inspiration, and I hope to use this at a future date to help me create batts for spinning. There are plenty of businesses that use these to advertise their goods, and I can easily see myself using this to manage my stash at some point. I know that Ravelry has similar options to manage their stash within that website, but for my immediate needs Pinterest is faster. I will be exploring some of the great options on Ravelry in the near future.

If you are looking to upload original pieces to pinterest there is a plus sign near the bottom right of the page when you are on pinterest. If you press this you almsot always get a message stating that you can get their browser button and use that to pin items, if you hit Not Now then the entire box disappears. When you press the plus sign a second time you are able to choose to upload a pin. Your persistence is rewarded, from here you can add a caption, or metadata if you are a librarian or information professional, and pin to a board. If you are using a personal computer, or if you do not share a work computer, it might be well worth it to obtain the browser button.

In addition to creating your own boards and searching for pins that mesh with your interests Pinterest gives you the opportunity to follow the pins of others. If you have a favorite business/dyer/etc. or just some friends that have the same interests as you then you can follow their boards, or accounts, to see what they pin and obtain inspiration from there. Pinterest will also send you e-mails, sometimes a lot of e-mails, suggesting pins and boards. Sometimes these suggestions are very helpful, sometimes they are just annoying. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Pinterest, I am certain that there are ideas out there I haven’t even touched on, but I hope that this helps some.

If you are looking to start a new project, start a new craft, or just need some inspiration then Pinterest is a great place to start. Whether you want to learn more about coupon clipping, bobbin lace, sprang, bullet journals, cleaning, or just need some new recipes, Pinterest really does have it all.